Boiler flag rises over downtown Kewanee

Tuesday

Oct 29, 2013 at 7:00 AM

Boiler flag hoisted on flagpole that once stood on Boiler site

The flag that once flew over the Kewanee Boiler plant is flying once again from the flagpole that once stood on the Boiler property.The flagpole has been moved downtown, near the former City Hall site in the 200 block of West Third Street. And on Saturday, the flag, last taken down at Kewanee Boiler plant by employee Bob Jacobs, was raised on the flagpole again.Moving the flagpole was the idea of Mark Mikenas, executive director of the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce. Mikenas first contacted Bob Neirynck, who said moving the pole would be no problem. Neirynck arranged for using Ratliff Brothers cranes to bring down the pole from its Boiler site and set it up at the new spot.Mikenas also met with City Manager Kip Spear to come up with the best location for the flagpole, which was set up just west of the “Pig Palace” on the City Hall greenspace.Louie Dierzen, owner of Dierzen Trailers, which now occupies the Boiler property, gave his permission for a group of volunteers to remove the flagpole, and assigned one of his employees, Jay Smith, to be in charge of restoring the flagpole.The pole had been painted orange and black, which once were the colors of Kewanee Boiler Corp. It was sandblasted and painted with a special silver flagpole paint.Smith even put together a special two-wheel dolly that was used when the pole was transported from the Dierzen shop a few blocks east to its new location.On Saturday, there was a brief ceremony at the flagpole before the flag was raised for the first time in its new home.Mikenas quoted his high school ag teacher, Floyd Wohrley, as saying, “Surround yourself with good people, and you get things done.” And that’s what happened with the flagpole project, he said.“It was almost like an orchestra of everybody wanting to get involved,” he said.Mikenas said there were some doubts about whether the flagpole would even survive the move.“It’s 93 years old. We didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said.Mikenas had issued a call for former Boiler employees or their descendants to attend the ceremony, and many did. He invited them to sign a guestbook after the ceremony, and their signatures filled nearly four pages of the book.Also attending Saturday was State Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, who said the flagpole project was proof that “Kewanee, you get it. And you get it right.”Noting that Kewanee had been named the friendliest small town in America in a Rand McNally online survey, Moffitt said the flagpole project is further proof that Kewanee is also one of the nation’s most patriotic communities.“On behalf of the citizens of Kewanee, we proudly accept this flagpole,” Mayor Bruce Tossell said. The flagpole can be a symbol of community pride, Tossell said.“There are people who haven’t given up on this town,” he said. “This is a prime example.”The flag from the Boiler Shop, which was saved by employee Bob Jacobs and later donated to the Kewanee School District, was then raised, with the Boiler employees taking turns on pulling the rope to bring the large flag to the top of the 100-foot pole.The flag is to be taken down and replaced with a 20- by 30-foot flag donated by Schueneman-Tumbleson Funeral Home.Mikenas said the Boiler Shop flag will be given back to the school district.Ameren officials have agreed to provide lighting so that the giant flag will be visible 24 hours a day.